Police and NDPC warn banks and fintechs against the risks of internal cybercrime

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has warned banks and fintech companies against domestic cybercrime and warned digital lenders against using customers’ personal data to harass or blackmail borrowers.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) gave the warning, on Thursday, at the Cyber ​​Security Awareness Campaign 2026 organized by the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber ​​Crime Center (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja.

Blueprint.ng reports that the campaign, themed “Towards a resilient cyberspace: think before you click”, aims to promote safer online practices, strengthen institutional preparedness and improve cooperation in the fight against cybercrime.

IGP Disu said cyber threats could come from within organizations through compromised employees, abuse of privileged access, negligence and weak internal controls.

He urged financial institutions and technology companies to strengthen employee screening, limit access to sensitive systems, monitor transactions and conduct regular audits to detect suspicious activity. “Firewalls and encryption alone could not eliminate cyber risks.”

The police chief also warned Nigerians against allowing others to use their bank accounts to receive money, stressing that account holders could face investigations if their accounts were linked to fraudulent transactions.

He advised the public to reject fake payment alerts, protect sensitive information such as bank verification numbers, national identification numbers and card details, and avoid suspicious links. It also warned against impersonation, cyberbullying and sharing private photographs or videos without consent.

Also speaking, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and Director of the National Cyber ​​Crime Centre, AIG Akaninyene Ezima, urged Nigerian youths to reject quick money schemes and online criminal recruitment. “pursue opportunities in cybersecurity, software development, and technology entrepreneurship.”

Ezima warned that cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to perpetrate fraud through deepfakes, synthetic identities, automated scams and identity theft.

He called for greater cooperation between law enforcement, regulators, financial institutions and technology companies.

The director also urged victims of cybercrime and online exploitation to promptly report incidents, warning that sextortion could have devastating consequences, citing section 24(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2024, which addresses some forms of cyberstalking.

On his part, the Commission’s Head of IT and Cyber ​​Security, Olorun Somo Ishola, who represented the National Commissioner, said effective cyber security requires both strong technical defenses and adequate data privacy safeguards.

Ishola said the commission was working with the police and other law enforcement agencies under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to protect personal information and counter its misuse.